Over the Limit Apartment Explanation Filler
by Just Browsing
Summary: Why was Amanda with Lee at his apt?


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Background: This was written in response to an informal triple challenge on the PAX forum. It was posted there. I've made a few revisions and am posting it here also as it contains information pertinent to my next FF story (coming soon to a website near you). 

Introduction: Well, you asked (triple challenged) so I checked into it and found out why Amanda went with Lee to his apartment after the exchange with O'Keefe. There is actually a logical explanation. Contrary to popular belief, the primary purpose of this visit was not a lame transition to a meeting between Amanda and Leslie, the villainess who took prudish-looking to an extra dimension. (Show of hands – who would surprise their boyfriend with a romantic dinner wearing long, plain, black skirt, white shirt buttoned all the way up, and with hair swept up into the ever popular, yet not exactly romantic librarian's bun. Does she look like the type to be up late 4 nights in a row doing – well, we can only assume what we each would have wanted to be doing (to each her own) all night with our favorite spy?) Ahh, (crawling back out of the gutter, tripped again) where was I? Oh, yes, I can explain why they were going to his apartment (what I can't explain is that jacket and why he was wearing his sleeves like that!) This might shed some light on why Amanda's reaction to Leslie's intrusive presence was a little less than the typical, friendly Amanda-like greeting. (It is my introduction, I can ramble if I want too, can't I? You didn't have to read it…)

Rated: G (Introduction PG)

Feedback: Please! General gushing would be great, constructive criticism even better.

Very special thanks to RB and Di for doing the beta duties and more importantly the challenges, encouragement, and support. All grammatical mistakes and stupid sections left in this version are entirely of my own doing.

Archive: I would be honored, just ask.

Over the Limit – Apartment Explanation Filler

(As you recall Lee met Amanda at the agency shooting range that morning. They decided to take Amanda's wagon when they left in a rush to help the Sullivan's because it was convenient, her turn to park in front of the IFF building. Besides Lee had just had his car detailed and wanted to leave it in the agency garage; he had heard "20% chance of showers late afternoon" forecasted on the radio.)  
  
Their spirits were 'high' when they left O'Keefe's office. Being so excited from their meeting Amanda wanted Lee to drive, she knew she would have trouble concentrating on the road. Before Lee got in the car, he took his leather jacket off and tossed it in the back seat (had to get that out of the way so I could concentrate, jeans are looking much better now). Between them, they replayed their cover story a few times, laughing and celebrating. They felt that they were just about to break this case wide open, both internally relieved that maybe their efforts would bring peace to the Sullivan's turbulent world. Amanda's focus was keeping the blonde, blue-eyed Justin, smiling safely in his mother's arms; while the vision in Lee's mind was of Eric holding his beloved wife protectively while sailing on the Lizzie III at sunset.  
  
With his smile still shining bright with pride in their teamwork, Lee exclaimed, "This has been a great day!"   
  
Before commenting, Amanda thought back through the experiences in her day. "Well, it did not start out too great…" Amanda countered.  
  
"Huh?" Lee looked confused. In his mind his day had started when he met up with Amanda and it was indeed a great one.  
  
"Leatherneck said that I set the new agency low score on the shooting range. Do you think negative 411 is all that bad?"  
  
Lee chuckled, "I'm pretty sure you'll need to be in the positives."  
  
"Mr. Melrose is not going to be pleased when he gets my scores." Amanda began to bite her lip gently in a worried gesture.  
  
"Amanda, you actually have to pull the trigger," Lee advised with a touch of exasperation.  
  
"I just could not shoot at real people. There was this little girl and a nun. You know I didn't go to a Catholic school so my impressions of nuns are kind, helpful women. It is just wrong to shoot at a nun." Amanda rationalized obviously not making any connection with the bad guys dressed in the secular robes during the Chamberlain case.  
  
"Amanda," Lee began seriously. "You really do need to learn how to shoot in case you ever need to protect yourself and you can't use your black belt in confusion or find anything handy to throw or swing – you know a purse, a baseball, a lamp. You've mastered those weapons," he finished with a wink. 

"I don't know, Lee. It's just not my thing. I'm out of my element, so to speak." Amanda returned with a shrug.  
  
"OK, let's start at the basics," Lee rationalized, taking the 'guy' approach to solving the problem at hand. "Did Leatherneck go through the mechanics with you? How to stand? Arm position? Gun position? That kind of stuff…"   
  
"Yes, that was the first thing we did this morning. You know he was really in a good mood when I got there this morning. I've never seen him so smiley before. I think he has a crush on someone. At first he was really patient with me. We went over the basics of the gun, the safety thingie and all. Next he showed me the proper body position. I guess I didn't do it right because he had me stand still and relax all my muscles, then he moved my arms, legs, and hips into the proper position. And then he put my hands on the gun and adjusted my grip and my shoulders, he said I wasn't straight…" Amanda rambled on in detail.  
  
Somewhere within that ramble, a flood of jealous thoughts seized Lee's mind. The thoughts swirled through his head picking up tornado-like speed until Amanda yelling "Stop sign!" calmed the pending storm.  
  
Lee's jealous thoughts were temporarily left behind him in the skid marks on the road. With the car safely stopped, Lee turned to Amanda and said earnestly, "Handling a gun is really important. Someday you may need to be able to protect yourself or someone you love." (Neither imagined that that someday would be later that same day!)  
  
"I just can't imagine ever wanting to shoot a person. Guns kill people, Lee."  
  
"People kill people, Amanda." They took off again at a more controlled speed as the conversation continued.  
  
"Exactly, and I don't think that's the kind of person that I am," Amanda argued.  
  
Suddenly (as this is fanfiction), a brilliant idea catapulted into Lee's mind. He juggled the idea around in his head before selecting the best alternative for selling Amanda on its merits. "What if I taught you to shoot and we just practiced on inanimate objects?"  
  
"Like a target?" Amanda questioned suspiciously.  
  
"Something like that."  
  
"But, Lee, I don't like real guns." Lee smiled when Amanda's response went precisely in the direction he predicted.  
  
"How about if we don't use a real gun? How about we practice with a toy gun and you can work on your fundamentals and skills?" he coaxed with a smile. As Amanda pondered his questions, it occurred to him that he probably should have worked with her on gun stuff long before now. A little guilt seeped into his psyche. "Do you have a little time right now? We could go back to my place and I could work with you for a couple hours. I have this little gun that Crawford gave me as a gag back when I was a rookie-"  
  
"The Q Bureau Crawford?" Amanda interrupted.  
  
"Yeah, he used to be a good agent. We used to hang out together a little back in the old days," Lee explained. "Anyway," Lee continued. "This gun shoots sticky darts, but it looks and feels just like a real gun. I think it's in a box under my bed. We can just work on positioning and basics whenever we have some free time, and then at least you will know what you're doing if you ever have to shoot."  
  
Amanda carefully considered Lee's offer. She was not expected home for, checking her watch, at least 3 hours. So time was not a problem. She was not sure how Mr. Melrose was going to react when he saw her scores, but she was pretty certain even her baked goods weren't going to get her out of this one. She feared Mr. Melrose would either sign her up for a lot more sessions at the range or classify her as hopeless assigning her to more desk jobs. Both of those alternatives meant working less time with Lee; consequently, neither sounded all that satisfying. She would rather be with Lee, but then he did have that new girlfriend.  
  
"Are you sure you have enough time?" Amanda asked tentatively with just a tinge of sarcasm.  
  
"Amanda, this is really important for you. I'm your partner so it's important for me too. I will make the time to help you. Please, let's do this together, OK? Let's start right now. Please." Lee had that look in his eyes, the one she had seen before and couldn't refuse. She nodded and smiled in agreement. Beaming, Lee did a quick U-turn and they headed towards his apartment.   
  
In the silence, both of their minds were racing, planning, thinking. Lee was mentally setting up her 'training area' in his apartment. He would find the gun in the boxes under his bed; though he'd better occupy her with something else while he did that. He was not sure how neat he had left his bedroom this morning and he definitely did not want her to be looking under the bed. You just never knew what you would find hiding under there. Then he would grab some of the army men, tanks, or horses from his play set thingie and set them up on the table in the hall. He would work with Amanda on her positioning and form in the living room. He would check her over closely and make sure every part of her body was in the right place. Maybe he would use Leatherneck's techniques; he was the expert at this stuff. Lee would have her relax and would move each part of her body to the correct position individually. He might have to do it again and again until she got the hang of it. Positioning, fundamentals, and form are critical factors….  
  
Amanda was daydreaming about spending time with Lee. Having him volunteer to help her was an important step to her. Another sign that he really cared about her safety and her success at work. He called her partner again and how nice that sounded especially after the way he had been acting all week. They worked so well together. It was great when he noticed it. She loved when he treated her like a real agent, and not a stupid housewife. Amanda made a silent vow to herself that she was going to cherish this time with him and really try to learn the fundamentals of using a gun. If this new woman in his life had his nights at least she had his days…  
  
Right before turning to park at Lee's apartment a horn in the distance broke through their separate reveries and brought them back to the present together. Simultaneously, they looked at each other and smiled.  
  
"So, I didn't ask. What did you say to O'Keefe before I got there?" Lee asked, the enthusiasm of their impending victory over TransOceanic returning.  
  
Amanda answered with a proud smile, "I told him that I was looking for a job and didn't want to go through personnel."  
  
"You didn't!" As they got out of her car and entered the building, Lee grabbed the offending jacket and put it back on and they returned to their earlier banter of compliments about how brilliantly they handled the blackmail shakedown in O'Keefe's office.


End file.
